True or False? Let’s be clear: electric vehicles (EVs) and their batteries represent a critical step toward a more sustainable future for transportation, offering a cleaner and greener alternative to traditional cars with internal combustion engines. On-road use of EVs produces significantly fewer greenhouse gases and no exhaust emissions.
However, the production of EV batteries poses several environmental challenges. Studies have shown that manufacturing a typical EV battery can generate higher carbon emissions than those of gasoline-powered cars. This is because producing an EV battery requires the extraction of rare and hard-to-obtain materials, such as lithium, cobalt, and manganese, which is energy-intensive.
Sustainability of Electric Vehicle Batteries
Even though the current production processes for EV batteries are not as sustainable as desired, their clean operation over the vehicle’s lifetime largely offsets their initial environmental impact. Nevertheless, it remains essential for the industry to continue working toward more sustainable battery production and to transition to cleaner energy sources. In this article, we will delve into the environmental impact of sourcing raw materials for EV batteries, explore emerging alternatives, and explain why electric cars remain a more sustainable solution than gasoline cars, despite their current shortcomings.
Electric Vehicles: An Increasingly Popular Sustainable Alternative
Drivers around the world are becoming more aware of their environmental impact. In France, 61% of drivers say they would like a hybrid or electric car for their next vehicle purchase, and according to our survey conducted with Ipsos, 7 out of 10 EV drivers cite environmental concerns as a determining factor in their car purchase. It’s no surprise, then, that electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular. While EVs produce little to no emissions during driving, their manufacturing, particularly that of their batteries, can have a significant environmental impact. Let’s explore in more detail how EV batteries and the raw materials they contain may be less environmentally friendly than they seem.
Environmental Impact of Battery Production and Disposal
Electric vehicle batteries are complex components containing numerous rare earth elements, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite. As their name suggests, these materials are difficult to find and extract, requiring intensive and sometimes polluting mining processes to separate them from the ground. This is why EV battery production poses an environmental challenge.
EV Battery Production
An EV battery consists of thousands of rechargeable lithium-ion cells connected to form a battery pack. Beyond the raw materials that make up its cells, an EV battery requires many software and hardware components to function. Let’s take a closer look at the environmental impact of producing an electric vehicle battery.
Raw Materials for EV Batteries
The raw materials in an EV battery include lithium, manganese, and cobalt. A typical EV battery uses between 3 and 5 kg of lithium, 80% nickel, 10% cobalt, and 10% manganese. Below, we explore the mining process for each raw material and its environmental impact.
Lithium-Ion
Although there are other chemical compositions for electric vehicle batteries, lithium-ion cells are by far the most popular because they are cost-effective and have a relatively high energy density. They offer an optimal balance between price and electricity storage capacity.
Lithium-Ion Mining
Lithium is primarily produced from salars or underground brine reservoirs. Most of its production is concentrated in South America (specifically Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile) and China. Lithium is extracted from brine relatively simply through water evaporation, leaving behind a lithium-rich solution.
Environmental Impact of Lithium Mining
Due to this evaporation process, lithium mining requires a large volume of groundwater, which is lost during the process. This can deprive local communities of drinking water and harm agriculture by reducing water available for irrigation, especially since most of the world’s lithium is extracted in arid regions already scarce in water. Additionally, the liquid remaining after lithium extraction may contain toxic or radioactive elements and must be cleaned and stored before being released back into the environment.
Cobalt
Beyond lithium, cobalt is often highlighted for its environmental and social impact in EV batteries. Cobalt is currently a key component in EV battery cells.
Cobalt Mining
Cobalt is a byproduct of copper and nickel mining. However, it can also be mined directly, with Australia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) being the main producers.
Environmental Impact of Cobalt Mining
Cobalt is undoubtedly one of the most problematic materials used in electric vehicles, both from an environmental and social perspective. Cobalt mines produce toxic residues that can spill into the environment, polluting groundwater and harming nearby communities. Additionally, smelting cobalt ore produces fumes with high concentrations of sulfur oxide and other pollutants. Beyond their environmental impact, cobalt mines also raise concerns due to the working conditions they entail. With minimal regulation and oversight, cobalt mine workers are often underpaid and lack proper tools, training, and protective equipment. These hazardous conditions create problematic labor practices that can lead to injuries or even fatalities. To address these unfavorable conditions, many leading automakers have committed to sourcing cobalt, graphite, and lithium from reliable and traceable sources. At the same time, battery producers are seeking to phase out cobalt use, focusing on more accessible and less problematic materials like nickel or iron. Innovative studies suggest that “solid-state” batteries could eliminate cobalt use entirely while significantly improving the capacity and efficiency of new batteries.
Manganese
Compared to lithium and cobalt, manganese is often overlooked in discussions about raw materials needed for EV battery production. Yet, it is an essential component in electric vehicle batteries, and its demand has significantly increased in recent years.
Manganese Mining
Manganese is the fifth most abundant metal on Earth and is often found alongside iron deposits. It is typically extracted in open-pit mines, with about 80% of its production coming from South Africa. Australia, China, India, Ukraine, and Brazil also produce this metal in significant quantities.
Environmental Impact of Manganese Mining
As it is mined in open-pit operations, manganese extraction can cause significant air pollution, particularly in dry areas where mine dust can easily rise. Additionally, manganese can pollute soil and water supplies, especially by introducing other chemical elements.
Rise of LFP Batteries
Due to the challenges in sourcing many raw materials used in EV batteries, manufacturers are actively seeking greener and more ethical solutions for battery production. Lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) technology is one such alternative, using iron instead of cobalt. Compared to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, LFP batteries have several advantages but also face challenges. Their lower energy density is their main drawback and has historically limited their use in EVs, as these batteries tend to be less efficient and offer lower range than Li-ion batteries. However, LFP batteries are also much easier to produce (and therefore cheaper) and use far more common raw materials. They also withstand heat better than Li-ion batteries and tend to have a longer lifespan. EV manufacturers are already using LFP batteries. Chinese manufacturers lead the way, though Western companies are also starting to adopt LFP technology, notably Tesla, which states that half of its cars already use cobalt-free LFP batteries.
Environmental Impact of Charging and Driving Electric Cars
Since they don’t burn gasoline or diesel to power their engines, the primary environmental impact of electric cars comes from their manufacturing, particularly their batteries. Naturally, the sustainability of an EV’s daily use depends on how the electricity used to charge it is produced. An electric vehicle powered by renewable energy will have a far lower impact than one powered by electricity generated from coal or natural gas. On average, an EV reaches parity with a combustion-engine vehicle in terms of emissions after traveling between 25,000 and 150,000 kilometers.
How Sustainable Are EV Batteries, Really?
While EV battery production currently faces environmental and social challenges, new extraction processes, raw materials, and battery chemistries are paving the way for a more sustainable future. Despite the widespread use of battery technology, its application in powering electric vehicles is still in its early stages. As costs continue to decline and technology advances, policymakers and industry leaders have a duty to improve working conditions in mining and battery production. Clearly, the environmental impact of producing an electric car will never be zero, which is why reusing and recycling old EV batteries is essential to ensure the materials they contain remain useful for as long as possible. It’s worth remembering, however, that throughout their lifespan, electric vehicles remain far more sustainable than combustion-engine vehicles. Currently, EV batteries are estimated to have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years and can be reused and recycled to recover most of the raw materials they contain.
